


Leaving It Up To You

by zachwen



Category: Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Zach meeting the Raptor Squad, this is kind of horribly written because i wrote it in ten minutes on a bus but, you asked for fluff and i delivered, zachwen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 10:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4345412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zachwen/pseuds/zachwen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zach meets Owen, and it's all uphill from there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leaving It Up To You

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is incredibly rushed, but you can deal. I'll write something better later. Possibly going to continue this, but for now, it's a one-shot.

 Isla Nublar is like something from another world. It's the sort of thing photoshopped in magazines or brochures; all reaching mountains and flourishing green forests, the water a perfect mirror of the cloudless sky. Even without the dinosaurs roaming the fields, Zach knows he'd have loved the island anyway. Despite all his sulkiness, he's beginning to enjoy himself.

Zara is standing in the petting zoo with Gray, still chatting away on her phone, so Zach doubles back, making his escape. The crowd is thick, and he has to fight to get out of the throng of people milling about. He makes his way down one of the streets, towards the outer edges of the theme park. He isn't paying much attention to his surroundings, lost in his thoughts, when he turns the corner of a street --- and is nearly run over. 

A hand closes around the back of his hoodie, yanking him off the road, and he stumbles onto the sidewalk, gasping.  

"Thanks." He says, and the brunet man takes a step back when he's steady. He's a few inches taller than Zach, with tanned skin and a light smile.

"No problem, kid. But in the future, maybe avoid playing in traffic. I hear it's bad for your health." The older man chuckles, resting his hands in the pockets of his cargo pants. Now that Zach is really looking, the stranger doesn't look like a tourist. He wears a dark grey button up and a brown vest over the top, faded scars and dirt smearing his bare arms.

Zach flushes, ducking his head. "Thanks again, uh ---"

"Owen Grady." The man --- Owen supplies, reaching out to shake his hand. "I handle the raptors here."

"I'm Zach." He replies, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.  

Owen pauses, studying his face with a raised eyebrow. "You're Claire's nephew, aren't you?" He asks curiously. "She too busy working to show you kids around, huh?"

Zach shrugs, folding his arms as he leans against the cement wall. "It's okay. My little brother's with our babysitter." He snorts. "I couldn't stand in the petting zoo with a bunch of three year olds all day." 

Owen laughs again, throwing his head back, and Zach can't help but smile. "Too cool for that, hey? If you want, I'm heading to the raptor sanctuary right now. I'm sure your aunt won't notice if I show you around a bit." He offers. 

Zach's eyes widen, but he glances back the way he came. They're here for another five days, and he'll have plenty of time to hang out with Gray later on. He chews on his lip before nodding. "Yeah, I guess." He says, trying to contain his eagerness. He'd take velociraptors over triceratops any day. 

"Don't sound too excited, kid." Owen jokes, his green eyes glinting in amusement. He gestures for him to follow, and they make their way towards the silver quad-bike parked near the park walls. Owen swings himself onto the seat and leans forward so Zach can climb on. There comes the awkward question of where to put his hands, but Owen just reaches back to grasp his arms, wrapping them around his waist --- and _shit_ , he's got abs that could stop a bullet.

The ride down the track is relatively quick, the quad lurching over the rocky terrain like it's nothing, and they slow to a stop in front of a small grey building. Walls stretch around an enclosure, the tips of trees peeking over the concrete barriers, and a cage to the left of the main building shows a glimpse of the enclosure itself. Owen puts a hand on Zach's shoulder, leading him towards the cage. 

A man in a red shirt carrying a bucket glances up from his seat by the cage entrance. "You brought Blue some fresh meat?" He says, grinning widely.  

Owen snorts, giving Zach a pat on the back when he freezes. "Barry's just messing with you, kid. I'd pick someone with a bit more meat on their bones if that was the case." He adds. When Zach glances down at his lean frame, blushing furiously, the man laughs. "Just playing with you, kid. Ain't nothing wrong with being lanky."

"Not everyone can be a superhero like Owen over here." Barry chuckles, handing his coworker the bucket. "The girls are a bit restless in there." 

Owen shakes his head, unlatching the cage door. "That Hoskins guy's been hovering around like a damn vulture. They always get riled up when he's here."

"Who's Hoskins?" Zach asks, frowning as Owen lets him pass through the doorway.

"The single most annoying jackass on this island." Owen sighs. "Come on, let me introduce you to the raptors." 

He follows Owen into the cage, and stops in his tracks. They're in individual cages, their mouths locked shut with some sort of headgear, but even now, Zach can see why Owen would want to spend so much time with them. The one closest to them fixes him with a predatory amber stare. The other man moves over, lowering himself to meet the blue-grey raptor's gaze. "Hoskins been bugging you, Blue?" He says, his voice low and steady. The raptor seems to settle down immediately, no longer straining against the headgear. 

Owen takes a step back, glancing back at Zach. "This is Blue, she's the beta of the pack. That's Delta over there, and there's Charlie and Echo." He says, pointing each animal out. Zach reminds himself to breathe, letting out a surprised _huh_.

"Are they --- uh, are they dangerous?" He asks, fidgeting with the strings of his hoodie. 

Owen shoots him a half-smile. "Only if you don't show them respect." He says, motioning for him to come closer. Zach hesitates for a moment, before walking over, standing beside the handler. Owen takes his hand, guiding it gently to rest on Blue's neck. "Keep your hand steady and talk to her." Owen instructs, positioning himself to stand just behind his shoulder. Zach swallows before nodding, his hand tingling where Owen holds it.  

He strokes the raptor's leathery skin, and the animal's sharp gaze softens a little, until it's almost leaning into the touch. He finds himself grinning without meaning to, and Owen's soft laugh vibrates through his shoulder. He can feel Owen's breath tickling the hair around his ear, and he ducks his head to hide the flush. 

"I think she approves." He chuckles, and Zach's heart swells with the praise. "She doesn't accept everyone, you know. She's damn protective, and if she doesn't like the look of you, you're gonna end up with a missing limb or two." 

Zach knows that should worry him, but he feels safe; the raptor breathing steadily under his hand, Owen guiding him gently through the motions. 

When they finally leave the raptor enclosure, after Owen goes through basic drills, the sun is beginning to set over the grey mountains. Zach hadn't realized how long they'd been there for, but it's nearly eight o'clock. The soft haze of sunlight paints the island shades of gold and green. They settle back onto the quad, and Zach rests tiredly against Owen's back. Owen drives slower this time, allowing Zach to get a good look at the forest, telling him stories about the raptors when they were growing up. He hangs on to every word, laughing as the wind rushes past them. 

When they finally reach the park gates, Zach feels his heart drop. He climbs off the quad, shoving his hands in his pockets. Owen remains on the motorbike, but he doesn't drive off.

"You know, the raptors are doing a hide and seek drill tomorrow. If you want to come watch, I can show you the ropes, teach you a thing or two." Owen suggests, his green eyes warm in the fading daylight. There's something in his gaze, hidden under the layers of casualness, that Zach can't quite put his finger on, but it makes his heart jump regardless.

Zach opens his mouth to answer, but shuts it, hesitating. He bites his lower lip, and Owen's eyes flicker down to catch the movement. "My brother and I were going to go on the gyrosphere ride tomorrow…" He says, reluctant to say _no_ , though he knows his brother is dying to go on the ride.

"I'll wait for you, kid." Owen promises. "I'll be around, let me know if you change your mind." He says, kicking the quad into gear. The engine hums back to life, and the bike is just starting to take off when Zach leaps forward, nearly letting himself get run over freakin' _again_ in the process. Owen brakes, raising an eyebrow as Zach makes his way around the front of the quad to stand beside him. 

"I changed my mind." He says in explanation, fidgeting nervously with his sleeves.

Owen grins at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." He says, his voice light with amusement. Their faces are inches apart, and Zach has a fraction of a second to see Owen's eyes flit down to his mouth, before he leans forward, closing the gap. It's just a gentle brush, lips featherlight on his own, before Owen pulls away, looking only a little worried. "Too soon?" He ventures, and Zach shakes his head. 

"Not at all." He says, a little breathless. 

Owen's face lights up, and when Zach steps away, he hits the accelerator. The quad bike jumps forward, the wheels spinning up dust as it takes off down the trail again, and Zach watches him go until the last of the daylight fades.

 


End file.
